


you feel like home

by ohjustpeachy



Series: Tony Stark Bingo Fills [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24810652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohjustpeachy/pseuds/ohjustpeachy
Summary: Tony and Rhodey are roommates, and they fall in love slowly.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Series: Tony Stark Bingo Fills [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601260
Comments: 19
Kudos: 139
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	you feel like home

**Author's Note:**

> for my tony stark bingo card square K3: Rarepair. Rhodeytony has just over 1,000 fics on AO3, which is surprisingly low for the MCU so I'm going with that.

“Your parents leave already?” James asks on the first of hundreds of nights they’d spend as roommates.

He just returned from one last run to the car with the woman Tony would come to know fondly as Mama Rhodes, and he looks like he understands something about him that Tony isn’t ready to give voice to just yet. From where he sits on his bed, Tony can see a game controller sticking out of the box in James’ arms, along with something that definitely resembles a teddy bear. He’d ask about those later. For now, Tony has to struggle to find the words to explain that his parents were never going to stay to make sure Tony’s side of the room was set up, that Tony was ready to say goodbye, that he was  _ okay _ . It wasn’t their style and never had been. Tony hadn't _expected_ them to stay, but that didn’t make it hurt any less that they didn't.

“Oh, yeah,” Tony tries to play it off, but this kid is a stranger to him, and he falters under his kind gaze. “Early flight out tomorrow morning, you know.” 

James Rhodes is quiet for a minute, and Tony pretends not to notice the glance that passes quickly between him and his mother. “You’ll have to come to dinner with us, then,” he says, leaving no room for Tony to argue. And maybe he would have, if he was feeling less hollowed out. Instead, Tony just shrugs, forcing himself to meet James’ eye.

“That’d be nice. Thanks.” 

*

Parents weekend rolls around all too soon, and Tony is once again sitting perched on the edge of his bed, watching as Rhodey scrubs down his half of the room. Tony’s had a knot lodged in his stomach for weeks now, knowing that before he knew it, he’d be surrounded by smiling, happy families while his own was miles away. Rhodey tosses a pillow at Tony playfully, eyes narrowing. 

“You plan on helping me out here?”

Tony snorts. “Helping you what, exactly? It’s already spotless.”

Rhodey glares at him. “Not yet it isn’t.” 

“Sir, yes, sir,” Tony salutes. His roommate is in ROTC, neat almost to a fault, but nothing puts the fear of god into him like the knowledge of a visit from Mama Rhodes. He’s been cleaning most of the morning while Tony worked on his robotics project, and his simmering tension was distracting Tony enough that he almost forgot his own parents weren’t coming this weekend at all. 

When Rhodey motions to the closet where they keep the Swiffer, Tony doesn’t argue. Instead, he dutifully scrubs the floors until they shine. Or, at least until they no longer show the grime of two college-aged guys so clearly. 

When Mama Rhodes arrives, she kisses Rhodey’s cheek, leaving behind a bright pink lip print, then hugs Tony tightly. She smells like something distinctly maternal, all floral perfume and coffee. Tony resists the urge to cling onto her even tighter. 

“It looks nice in here,” she remarks. “James must have put you to work early.” 

Tony can’t stop the cackle that escapes him as Rhodey glowers from across the room. 

“You have  _ no idea _ ,” Tony says, conspiratorially. 

In just a few months, he and Rhodey are already close, so much so that Tony has a hard time believing he’s lived so many years of his life without him at his side. He calls Tony out on his bullshit, but he’s also the first to know when something’s wrong, and Tony appreciates this dynamic more than he can put into words. 

More than anything, though, he loves Mama Rhodes, her long, take-your-breath-away hugs, and the way she doesn’t say a word about Tony’s missing parents. Instead, she wraps an arm around each of them, and says, “So, shall we get on with it then, boys?”

*

Their first year comes and goes in the blink of an eye, and before Tony knows it, he’s packing up his side of the small dorm, room, wondering how, exactly, he was going to survive an entire summer, ninety-two days, to be specific, without Rhodey and with his parents? How was he supposed to cope working part time for his father, smothered by the knowledge that he was letting him down regardless of how many hours, how much effort, he put in?

Tony's surprised, on that last day in the dorm, when Rhodey nearly tackles him in a hug. They’re close, but they’re not like _that_ with each other. 

_ Affectionate. _

Tony longs for it, he can admit that to himself, but he also takes what he can get. He doesn’t push it. But this time, he lets himself linger, appreciating the small comfort that is Rhodey’s arms around him.

“You’ll text me when you get tired of that shit, right? You know you’re welcome any time. My mother is the hardest person in the  _ world _ to please and I think she likes you better than me, Tones.” 

Warmth courses through Tony at this, and he lets himself exhale into Rhodey’s shoulder, relieved at the idea of an escape, and an escape to  _ Rhodey _ nonetheless. 

“Sure,” he says lightly. “Someone’s gotta help you keep that room clean, Sarge.”

Rhodey makes a sound of discontent, but he doesn’t let Tony go for a good few more seconds. 

*

It’s Thanksgiving break of their sophomore year, and Tony is Tony’s sprawled out on Rhodey’s bed. It's bigger and softer and much more lived-in than the one at MIT, and his stomach gives a little thrill when Rhodey throws himself down beside Tony with a sigh. It’s the first truly happy holiday break Tony can remember having. They spent the day helping Mrs. Rhodes prepare for the rest of the family’s arrival the following day, cleaning, peeling carrots and potatoes, loading and unloading laundry to prep the guest rooms. He's bone-tired and content to spend the rest of the evening doing nothing with his best friend.

“Now you see where I get it?” Rhodey asks. He means his penchant to clean every speck of every room when he knows someone, particularly his mother, is coming over.

“Oh, I’ve always known where you get it from. I haven’t worked so hard...maybe ever,” Tony says.

“Ah, poor little rich kid gets his hands dirty. There’s a first time for everything.” 

Tony laughs, but it’s a hollow sound. “Thanks again,” he says, pulling himself upright. “I’d clean the house all over again as long as it means not doing the Stark Family Thanksgiving thing.” 

Rhodey just claps a hand over Tony’s shoulder and squeezes. “Yeah, I know. The good news is she might never let you leave. Also, she’s asked me about a hundred times already if you’ll be back for Christmas, so…”

Tony flops back down on the bed in relief. 

Going home for Christmas has never felt like such a joyous concept before.

*

In December of their junior year, a police officer explains, calmly and quietly, that Tony’s parents are dead. Both of them at once. Just gone. 

_ Instant. Killed on impact. Alcohol, trees, tires spinning.  _ The officer says the words but Tony can hardly hear them for the blood rushing through him, an angry wave.

Tony’s head is in his hands. He’s always been distant from his family, but now he doesn’t even have the option to bridge that gap, to make things better, move a little closer. He’s always been so sure he didn’t need them, but now… 

“Tony?” Officer Davies asks. It’s gentle, but Tony can tell it’s not the first time she’s said it. 

“I— Sorry, what was the question?” 

Her face softens. “I asked if there was anyone you could call, any other family you could stay with while all of this is going on?”

Tony shakes his head at first. He’s never been close with his father’s side of the family, and his mother had been an only child. He was, truly,  _ alone _ . 

Except… Tony thinks about all those moments in Rhodey’s house, all the times Mama Rhodes had hugged him, how warm and familiar it all was. 

“My roommate,” Tony manages to say. “I was going to spend the holidays with him anyway.” He picks up his phone and waits for his best friend’s voice on the other line. 

“Tones? Everything okay? It’s like, three in the morning…” Rhodey’s voice is tired, sleep-rough, and Tony wishes he could tell him it’s nothing, to go back to sleep, it’s all a mistake. Instead, he tells him, in a wavering voice, that his whole life has just imploded.

“They’re dead, Rhodey bear. They’re dead.”

When Rhodey gets there, Tony nearly collapses into him, trying to believe him when he says, again and again: “It’s okay, I got you, Tony. You’re gonna be okay.” For once, Tony just tucks his head into Rhodey’s shoulder and holds on tightly, unthinking. Rhodey’s here. That’s all that matters for now. He’ll know what to do. 

He’ll get him through it. 

*

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop,” Rhodey says. He places a hand on Tony’s cheek, holding him carefully, like he might break beneath him. Like he’s something precious.  Like...well. Like he doesn't regret the kiss they just shared. 

“I was just thinking it should feel weird, like we're ruining our friendship or something. But it doesn’t,” Tony admits. 

Rhodey grins, not a rare thing, but it feels brand new now, anyway, and Tony feels lit from within at the idea that  _ he _ is the catalyst for such a beautiful thing. “Good.”

“Yeah,” Tony murmurs. “Good.” He lets his hand wander then, feeling Rhodey's arms, the taut muscles of his stomach, because he can  _ touch _ now, after all this time. Four years of waiting and wondering and  _ wanting _ the man in the bed beside his, then the room beside his, and now, the man holding a diploma beside him. 

Tony slides their mouths together again, not wanting to waste even one more minute  _ not _ kissing James Rhodes, so he’s more than a little distracted when Mama Rhodes sidles up behind them. 

“It’s about damn time,” she says, then laughs at the blush that washes over Tony’s face when they break apart. 

“I’ve been waiting  _ four years _ for the two of you to get your acts together, isn’t that right, James?” 

“Yes ma’am,” he says. “Every Thanksgiving...every Christmas. Any time we talked on the  _ phone _ , she wanted to know.” 

Tony feels his jaw hit the floor.  _ All this time? _

“I knew you’d figure it out eventually.”

Tony has so many things he’s dying to ask.  _ When had Rhodey known? Why hadn’t he said anything? Why did they wait so long? _

He doesn’t have time to give voice to any of them, not just yet, because Mrs. Rhodes grabs them both in one of her infamous hugs, and ushers them away from the throng of students and parents and faulty. 

“So, my boys, where should we go for dinner?” 

She leads the way, and Tony wastes no time grabbing Rhodey’s hand in his as they walk to the car. 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm omg-just-peachy on tumblr, come say hi!


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